ASLEF
has
announced
strikes
and
an
overtime
ban
at
two
train
operators
for
what
it
describes
as
‘their
persistent
failure
to
comply
with
existing
agreements’.

Drivers
will
stage
24-hour
walkouts
at
LNER
and
Northern
on
1
March,
and
also
an
overtime
ban
from
29
February
to
2
March.

General
secretary
Mick
Whelan
said:
‘We
are
fed
up
to
the
back
teeth
with
the
bad
faith
shown,
day
after
day,
week
after
week,
and
month
after
month
by
these
two
companies.

‘We
always
stick
to
agreements
which
we
make.
These
companies
think
they
can
break
agreements
–
which
they
freely
enter
into
–
whenever
it
suits
them.
And
they’re
wrong.
This
is
a
shot
across
their
bows
and
a
sign
of
things
to
come.

‘They
need
to
stop
what
they
are
doing,
start
to
behave
properly
and
honourably,
because
their
drivers
–
our
members
–
are
no
longer
prepared
to
be
treated
like
this.’

He
added:
‘These
disputes
are
entirely
separate
from
our
national
pay
dispute
with
16
train
operating
companies
–
although
LNER
and
Northern
are
two
of
those
TOCs
–
because
we
haven’t
had
a
pay
rise
since
2019.’

LNER
said:
‘Our
priority
focus
remains
on
minimising
disruption
to
customers
during
ASLEF
strikes,
which
sadly
will
continue
to
cause
disruption
and
delays.
We
encourage
ASLEF
to
continue
to
work
with
us
to
find
a
way
to
end
this
long
running
dispute
which
only
damages
the
rail
industry.’

Northern
said
it
had
been
working
to
resolve
a
local
disagreement.
Chief
operating
officer
Trcia
Williams
said:
’We’re
surprised
and
disappointed
that
strike
action
has
been
called
over
a
local
disagreement
that
we
have
all
been
working
positively
to
resolve.

‘We
encourage
ASLEF
to
work
with
us
to
find
a
solution
and
avoid
further
disruption
for
customers.’